Government of Pará and SEEL hold Opening Ceremony of the third phase of the JOAPA regional in Mãe do Rio
Event brings together about 900 athletes from 10 municipalities in the Rio Capim Regional, with competitions until Sunday (15)
The night of this Thursday (12) was marked by emotion, joy, and cultural expressions during the Opening Ceremony of the XIV edition of the Open Games of Pará (Joapa), which began the third phase of the Rio Capim Regional, in the host municipality of Mãe do Rio. The event was held at the Dr. Silas Freitas Gymnasium and brought together about 900 athletes from 10 participating municipalities.
This stage includes delegations from Aurora do Pará, Bujaru, Capitão Poço, Concórdia do Pará, Ipixuna do Pará, Irituia, Mãe do Rio, Paragominas, São Miguel do Guamá, and Tomé-Açu, competing in six modalities: basketball, futsal, beach soccer, volleyball, handball, and table tennis.
The Joapa is an initiative of the Government of Pará, through the State Secretariat of Sports and Leisure (Seel), to strengthen sports and promote social inclusion through sports practice throughout the state.
"Another stage of the Open Games, an event held by the Government of the State of Pará, where we bring together 144 municipalities in 12 regionals. Here is the Mãe do Rio regional, with 10 municipalities present and 900 athletes. Inclusion is also present. In the next four days, we will bring a lot of joy, competition, and energy, promoting sports in our state. It is the State Government and Seel working for Pará sports," highlighted the Seel secretary, Cássio Andrade.
The opening ceremony featured presentations of cultural dances and a capoeira circle, celebrating local culture and further integrating the participants.
The JOAPA encompasses all 144 municipalities in Pará, divided into ten regional stages, which define the champions of each phase and award the best performances with the Efficiency Trophy.
In the previous stages, the delegations from Breves (Marajó I) and Ponta de Pedras won the trophy with 56 and 58 points, respectively.
The futsal athlete from Mãe do Rio, Marli Gomes, celebrated her participation in the event. "I am very happy to participate for the second time in this wonderful event. We thank the Government for holding this phase here in our municipality, which promotes sports and brings joy to all of us," she said.
The competitions will continue until next Sunday (15), when the winners of this phase of the Rio Capim Regional will be announced.
